Somerville Real Estate
Somerville is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood located just north of neighboring Cambridge and Boston. Occupying 4.2 square miles, Somerville is one of the more densely populated municipalities in New England with approximately 76,000 residents. Home to art, culture, nightlife and music as well as a plethora of gourmet restaurants and ethnic food eateries, Somerville offers the best of urban living. While most neighborhoods have their own local hangouts and shops, Somerville’s business and nightlife activities are centered around Davis and Assembly Squares. A thriving student population adds to the mix with the Tufts University campus running along the Somerville and Medford border. Somerville housing stock is dominated by triple-deckers, duplexes, and historic Victorian single-family homes. Many of these properties have been sub-divided into condo units with extensive renovations to add all the conveniences of modern living. Assembly Square has experienced a surge in development and offers luxury lofts and newly constructed developments. Read more about Somerville real estate.
Somerville Homes & Condos For Sale
More About Somerville Real Estate
Somerville Location
Located on the west bank of the Mystic River, Somerville is approximately two miles from Cambridge and four miles from Downtown Boston. The city borders Cambridge, Medford, Everett, Arlington and the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. The city is easily accessible via multiple stops on the MBTA Red Line. For bikers, Somerville offers miles of bikeable streets and community cycling paths including the Minuteman Bikeway, a 10-mile biking path that runs all the way to Bedford.
Somerville Recreation
Somerville’s active arts scene includes a number of arts and music events. The Somerville Open Studios is an annual citywide art event during which hundreds of artists open their studios and invite the public in to see their art. Somerville Porchfest is another popular event with myriad bands converging in Somerville and taking over residents’ porches to perform, transforming Somerville into one big, live stage. Residents also treasure the iconic Somerville Theater in Davis Square for its indie films as well as the home of the Museum of Bad Art in its basement. Despite its urban location, Somerville is dotted with small parks and playgrounds that attract young families with children and dogs. The Grimmons Park Playground in the Ten Hills neighborhood maintains a boathouse that rents kayaks and paddle boats in the summer for use on the nearby Mystic River. Assembly Row houses a mixed-use complex that features a marina, green spaces and a revitalized waterfront for residents to enjoy.
Somerville History
In the early 1800s, Somerville saw rapid growth as improvements in transportation and the arrival of the railroad opened up new farm land for development purposes. Somerville experienced a resurgence in many of its neighborhoods in the mid-1980s once the Red Line of the MBTA was extended to Davis Square and other communities. When nearby Cambridge abolished rent control, newcomers looking for affordable housing flooded the area leading to a housing boom. Developers scrambled to convert former factories and other industrial spaces into condos and office buildings. Abandoned railroad tracks saw new life as the Somerville Community Path. Many of immigrants from the 90s brought with them their culture and food preferences, resulting in the eclectic mix of ethnic eateries available today as well as attracting a new breed of professional chef to the area.
